6 sorting tips for back-to-school success with Ecomaison
Back-to-school season is upon us, and with it the return to school or work, new projects, good resolutions, gym memberships and the desire for change and new things. But how can you make sure you get off on the right foot, starting from a blank page? By sorting through your belongings, of course! Here are 6 sorting tips for a successful back-to-school.
Office supplies
It doesn't sound like the most fun sorting out your pens, but we underestimate the damage a cluttered desk can do to our productivity. Who hasn't felt an unsuspected desire to get down to work after tidying their desk from top to bottom? Well, maybe a few people, but for the rest of us, we can assure you that it works!
Maison du Tri bonus: if you have old bottles, jam jars or similar containers, don't throw them away, decorate them and use them to store your pens and other supplies.
The papers
Now that the office work surface is tidied up, let's tackle your drawers. Yes, we've all done the technique of putting all your papers in one drawer. However, it's a time bomb. One day, you'll need a payslip, an invoice, a diploma and you'll spend an hour sitting on the floor with all your administrative life spread out around you. Save yourself the ordeal and start sorting now. Start by sorting your papers into what you throw away (in the right garbage can!) and what you keep. Then sort them according to your personal needs: home, work, bank, school, etc. Buy or collect some nice binders in different colors and line them up on a shelf with the heading written on the spine.
The toys
If you're the kind of person who sleeps with your security blanket at 33, skip it - it would be too painful. For the rest of us, if you still have toys from your childhood at home, tell yourself that they could make someone happy. Memories are precious, but so is the fact that they could make someone else happy! So yes, donate your old toys. Many associations exist to repair them and give them a second life.
The photos
The vacations are over and the memories are in the box, but the problem is that they're likely to stay there if you don't find a way to sort them out. The aim here is to make them easy to find and look at. To do this, start by deleting failed photos directly on the camera or smartphone. This will save you from transferring a tera of unsuccessful, blurry photos that will cause your computer to crash. Then, among the photos you keep, make a best-of and classify them by event. For example: an afternoon at the beach, a walk in the woods, a country lunch, pétanque, etc. More than just storing your memories, these categories will make you want to come back to them.
The furniture
"He who lives at peace with his chair lives at peace with the universe." This quote is obviously untrue, but not entirely meaningless. If you're ever uncomfortable with your furniture, you may not feel completely at home. So don't hesitate to tidy up your furniture by donating or recycling what you don't like or need any more. To replace them, opt for second-hand goods, where you'll find nuggets that are good for your wallet. DIY is also an interesting option if you're a do-it-yourselfer. It allows you to surround yourself with personal and unique objects, and it's practical for transforming an apartment or house into your own "home".
The cellar
It's an underestimated place in terms of mental load. You can put just about anything there, as long as it's bulky and you don't have the courage either to have it in front of you or to send it to the dump. A sort of purgatory for furniture and other knick-knacks, where they wait to be reused or thrown away for good. So today, we invite you to take your courage in both hands and sort, donate and recycle your furniture. Do it at your own pace to keep your mind light. No need to sift through your entire cellar at once!
We hope these tips will give you the inspiration and motivation to do a little sorting before the start of the new school year, while you still have some free time. Happy back-to-school!